Emmy Nominees As Excited As Nominees Of Bigger, More Prestigious Awards

The Emmy announcements are no exception to the time-worn awards show tradition of news outlets eliciting statements from the newly shortlisted artists—asking them, still dizzy from their gold-star high, to try as best as they can to put into words what it feels like to be recognized as more talented than their peers. (Until the night of the ceremony, that is, when four of the five are again reminded of their mediocrity.) We present a round-up of some of the most memorable, "it's just an honor to be mentioned in the same breath as Two and a Half Men" reactions:
· "This is an outrage." - Tina Fey [Variety]
· Nomination presenter Kyra Sedgwick deconstructs the existential dilemma of having to read one's own name off the TelePrompter: "It was pretty nauseating. I couldn't believe they wouldn't tell us before!I just thought, if I won't be nominated, I'll take a deep breath and be grateful I'm there to announce. It was a surprise." [USA Today]

· Anna Paquin will take a second-tier awards show where she can booze it up over being nominated for its bigger-deal cousin at the boring age of 11 any day. [Variety]
· Somewhere in the soupy borders between where Kevin Dillon ends and self-promotional op-ed essayist Johnny Drama begins is one very happy nominee. Says Entourage creator Doug Ellin: "I told Kevin last year we have a goal, we have to get you an Emmy nomination. He was like oh, come on lets just do good work but I know he is excited." [Variety]
· Nominated for his turn as Pahrump, NV's salty and wise Judge Robert Bebe, John Goodman gives all of the credit to Studio 60 masterscribe, Aaron Sorkin : "I am overwhelmed and grateful. It was all in the writing." [USA Today]
· Heroes' creator Tim Kring falls back on a reliable, frosting-related cliché: "We set out to make a show that people would get hooked on. For the show to now have this kind of critical exposure is really the icing on the cake." [USA Today]